Jethro Tull - Watching Me, Watching you

I think the drums are real. I actually own a copy of this album, but I haven't listened to it, or even thought about it in something like 30 years. It's probably buried with my vinyl in the closet. Must have a dig one day, though I haven't owned a turntable in that time, either. This reaction has re-piqued my curiosity. One day you'll have to sit through all 44 minutes of "Thick as a Brick." It's quite a journey

"Locomotive Breath' (Live) was the reaction you did long ago.

A really interesting pick for Tull. Glad you enjoyed it. It’s always refreshing to see somebody who can look at the music objectively. Fans can’t always do that, and this song was definitely a step away from what most of the fans liked. It was clear this was a deliberate choice, too. Ian was very prolific at this time. The album has 10 songs, but there were over twenty additional songs recorded during the sessions and left of the album. Many with a more traditional Tull sound. The album itself was a blend of the ‘80s synth and more guitar-focused tracks, especially compared to the following one which was even more synth focused. In hindsight it sounds a bit like a transitional album as a result. Ian’s first solo album (Walk Into Light), and the next Tull album (Underwraps) would explore this sound quite a bit more. All three included new keyboardist Peter-John Vetesse working closely with Ian on the arrangements. On songs like this it sounds like there was little input from guitarist Martin Barre. Although overall Martin considers this period very strong for the music and his guitar playing. Especially live. Surprisingly Martin has played this on his solo tours, despite the relatively little guitar featured on it. He plays the flute instead… Yep, Martin plays flute too, and there have been a few double flute parts over the years with Ian. I’d love to see you do a deep dive into Tull. There’s so much interesting music.